Fading Starlight

Path backed up so Reverse wouldn't eject straight into the wall and opened the compartment. His hands transformed into blasters, shooting in the general direction of the cons to keep them at bay. They struck the rubble around him, sending sparks showering over he and Reverse.

"Cover me so I can take some of these 'cons down!" Path said to Reverse.

Tarmac was off balance. He was still reeling from the shock of an old foe returning. They were beginning to be severely outnumbered. Blueshade zipped around them, moving too fast for the cons to land a hit on him. He shot at the huge decepticon, but that only angered him. His quills flared and he shot one in the smaller bot's general direction, barely missing him.

"Since when can they do that?!" Blueshade yelled, transforming and knocking down a con with a stab from his blade. He was trying to clear a path for them to escape, but they were getting surrounded.

A shot from a sniper rifle came and struck the decepticon in the shoulder, leaving a burning hole. He howled and stumbled backwards, giving Tarmac an opening.

"Altrock come on!" Tarmac made a dash for the exit.

Reverse flew out and landed in bot mode. He had grabbed his blaster before hitting the ground. He got on the job without nodding; it would just waste time.

Altrock followed Tarmac. Helixon seeing his opening came in, and fired his last resort weapons: missiles.

Tarmac was knocked off his feet by the blast. He transformed, waiting only a moment to make sure Blueshade and Altrock were intact, and then led the charge for their escape route.

Path, now able to fire without getting blown to bits, sniped down con after con from where he hid behind a pile of rubble. He covered the team till they were almost to his position, then began running backwards, still firing at any cons who followed.

Altrock transformed and followed Tarmac, weapons out and firing at any 'con who got within their range.

Reverse ran with Path, firing when he could but mostly running to keep up with him.

Path was always keeping an eye on the smaller bot to make sure he didn't get left behind. Once they were far enough away, he called to him.

"Reverse, transform!" He shouldered his weapon. Blueshade zipped by, and then the others after him.

Reverse jumped and transformed, holstering his blaster. He got high enough in the air to be easy to snatch so they can get out of the place faster.

Helixon flew overhead.

Path caught him in midair as he also transformed, and hit the ground with his wheels spinning. He quickly caught up to the others.

"What was going on out there?" Path asked as they sped away.

"Debrief at the base." Was all Tarmac said. He had that tone in his voice.

Altrock was quiet. Helixon was his usual self, and did some maneuvers in the sky to chill as he usually did after a fight.

Reverse was his usual silence.

"Not to alarm anyone, but I've got some of that weird guy's spikes stuck in my chassis. A little." Blueshade said sheepishly. There would be a little trail of energon from his path on the road every so often.

"Can you make it back to base?" Path said, his tone changing to a bit of a worried one as he pulled up beside Blueshade.

"I think so." Blueshad said.

"Better not be dying after facing a big and ugly con like that guy." Helixon flew above him.

"What part of 'We'll debrief back at base' do you bolt heads not understand?" Tarmac barked. He sounded far more irritated than usual.

"Primus." Path muttered to himself. Nobody but Reverse would hear him.

Helixon wisely did not make a wisecrack to that. Tarmac had proven worthy of respect, and his tone was one that meant he wasn't going to put up with anything. Didn't mean he wasn't annoyed by Tarmac being irritated by some chit chat.

They were silent the drive back to base, except for the occasional uncomfortable noise from Blueshade. Path stayed close to him, but didn't say a word.

Dawn cracked across the horizon as they returned to the autobot base. Prowl was waiting for them. Tarmac transformed, his face darkened. He took the piece of comms equipment from one of his compartments and shoved it into Prowl's hands. "There's the tech we were told to get. Altrock will upload the scans of the base. They've drained the energon from below it dry as a husk."

"How disappointing." Prowl replied, cold as usual as he inspected the piece. "But your team completed the mission. Make sure to send in your personal report ASAP."

"I'll get to it after our debrief." He walked past Prowl, followed by the others. Blueshade was limping a little, several small cuts and punctures dotting his body. Some of them still had shards of metal in them from the decepticon's quills.

Path was unhurt other than a few scuff marks that he wouldn't even bother to buff out. He walked past Prowl, still carrying Reverse with him.